From the Pastor&#039;s Desk

April 6, 2014

by Msgr. Thomas Gervasio

Dear Parishioners,

Tempus fugit! Time flies! This is how I feel about this Lent. How quickly this holy season is passing. I hope we are taking advantage of greater opportunities for prayer, drawing ever closer to the Lord. This week and next, the Church's liturgy will focus more intently on the passion and death of the Lord. In the Scripture readings at Mass, we reflect upon the Lord's journey to Jerusalem, where he will face misunderstanding, opposition, and the betrayal culminating in his passion and death. In today's Gospel, the raising of Lazarus foreshadows for us the resurrection that lies beyond the cross, beyond death. Jesuit Father Richard Leonard offers another, interesting perspective on this extraordinary event:

"On this last Sunday of Lent, Lazarus is given to us to help us think about the tombs in which we lie hidden and the life to which we are called...We jealously guard the entrance, displacing energy to defend our tombs, and we're ashamed if anyone rolls away the stone and sees the mess inside. But this Sunday, Jesus stands at the entrance of our tombs and calls us out of them. We're asked to face down the bad spirit that keeps us locked in secrecy, to move away from shame, embrace repentance...and we're invited to know the light of Christ's healing and forgiveness. No one can pretend that this journey is easy, but it's what Lent is all about: the journey from the tomb of our own particular deaths, through penance, to the new life of Easter."

In closing, I want to offer a reminder about the important Mass schedule change we shall make, effective May 3: Saturday evening Mass at St. Anthony will be offered at 4:00 PM. Please mark your calendars.

With affection,
Msgr. Gervasio